Franklin Parrasch Gallery is pleased to present First Person, a group exhibition of paintings and drawings by nine cross-generational artists focused on observations and reflections from the perspective of a single narrator. Included are recent and historical works by Aiza Ahmed, Rita Ackermann, Radcliffe Bailey, Forrest Bess, Joan Brown, Mark Gonzales, Calvin Marcus, Ken Price, and Peter Saul.

The psychology of the narrator is portrayed directly in the moment, a singular observation informed by the characters in each of the works in this show. Joan Brown’s googly-eyed pumpkin wildly peering off the surface of a campy, anthropomorphized Halloween icon, Aiza Ahmed’s vignette inspired both by popular culture as well as encounters she has had in Pakistani society, Ken Price’s view of a UFO hovering over the ocean against an orange sky: each of these images portrays the senses and the experience of that single, immersed point of view.

Each artist invites the viewer to navigate, as both an observer and participant, the narrator’s psyche through visual imagery. Transient moments, observations, and reflections are captured and materialized in the realm of playful and vibrant compositions, curious and spirited characters, pensive and contemplative figures. The dozen works that comprise this exhibition collectively evoke a compelling exploration of the complexities of the human experience presented in distinct styles, techniques, and media.